DIY Toothpaste for your Dog

A healthy natural way to clean your pooch's teeth

I am trying this recipe for the first time as I realize that my little Maltese deserves safe natural products just as the rest of the family. I picked parsley as it fights bad breath.

Ingredients 

1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 tablespoon crushed parsley leaves
1/4 tablespoon distilled water

Method

Add crushed parsley leaves to the distilled water. Leave this mixture for 1 minute so that the goodness of the leaves infuses the water. Then strain the mixture into the baking soda. Stir this. Add a little more water if needed to achieve a semi liquid consistency. And that's all!

Brush your dog's teeth every other day with this mixture using a doggie toothbrush. Keep this paste in a closed container in the refrigerator. Since the ingredients are natural it's a good idea to use it up quickly.

Please do comment below to let me know about your experience.

My Christmas Gift

This morning my daughter handed me a little bag - a succulent in a tiny terracotta pot, sitting snugly under layers of colored tissue paper. Just a few days ago, I had casually mentioned to her that I found succulents pretty, so I was totally bowled over when I opened my gift to find a beautiful polymer clay rendition of the real stuff. I think handmade gifts from your kids are the BEST. 😊

Merry Christmas

Does it really matter how big or small a Christmas tree is? Here is a cute little tree created by my daughter. It looked so pretty I just had to post it. 

Sky on the eve of first day of winter

                                             

                                             crimson blue skyline

                                             from dusk to night 

                                             into winter's first morning

It's Breakfast Time!

Old fashioned Porridge

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
2 cups water
1/8 cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk (optional)
1 tablespoon raisins
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
pinch of crushed cardamom
drizzle of honey



Method:

Bring water and almonds to a gentle boil. Add rolled oats, brown sugar, milk and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle raisins, cinnamon and cardamom and serve with a drizzle of honey.

I serve this for breakfast a couple of times a week. You can always tweak the recipe by adding other toppings such as fresh berries, walnuts or anything you fancy.

Rolled oats porridge may sound old fashioned but it is a wholesome and healthy meal. It's loaded with B vitamins, iron and manganese. It also provides soluble fiber which helps reduce cholesterol. And best of all, it is sodium and cholesterol free.

An Autumn Haiku

the wind's been howling
all day long with the sun gone
leaves are going to fall

Your own DIY All Purpose Cleaner

2 years ago I bumped into essential oils and the more I read, I realized their health benefits. I also started reading the ingredients on the commercial products more carefully as some of them are harmful for health. All purpose cleaners are such a necessity at keeping the house clean. So I decided to experiment. I picked Tea Tree oil because of its antibacterial and antiseptic properties as well as its eucalyptus like scent. I have been using it since then and still love it. It works great on counter tops and even on my laminate floors. The best part - it leaves the house smelling fresh. So go ahead, try and let me know if you liked it.

What you need:

2 cups distilled water

10-12 drops Tea tree oil

1 plasic spray bottle 

Shake the contents in the bottle and it is ready to use. 

"Ballerina on a Saturday afternoon....."

My take on Gratitude

Today is Thanksgiving and a good day to begin practicing gratitude. Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness, content and being totally at peace with what and who we have in our lives. Actually I think we are mostly happy with what we already have but the constant shower of messages around us, mostly from social media deludes us into believing otherwise. When we begin to express gratitude, we actually attract abundance and prosperity into our lives. In truth, we become more positive. So here are 3 simple things we can do daily to practice gratitude.

1. Say Thank You first thing in the morning.
2. Write down at least 3 things you are grateful for.
3. Smile more and say thanks to folks around when they do something nice for you.

Happy Thanksgiving 🌻

Fragrant Apple Ambrosia

Ingredients

2-3 medium sized apples, chopped
1/3 cup water
3 black peppercorns
2 cloves crushed
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp golden raisins

Method

Add chopped apples, peppercorns, cloves, ginger and water to a saucepan and cook on medium high heat for 5 min. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar and cook on low for 25 min or until apple mixture begins to soften.
Serves 3-4. Sprinkle a little more cinnamon if you like before serving.

Enjoy this savory, wholesome recipe - a warm accompaniment to those cool autumn mornings. In ayurveda, cooked apples are tridoshic, meaning they balance all the 3 doshas - vata, pitta and kapha.

Hello friends, this is my very first post on my very first blog. I am so excited! So let me start with a little bit about myself. I am a devoted mom of two kids who are growing up so fast (every mom thinks this way I am sure). But yeah, I love spending time with my kids and get to learn so much from them each day. I am a natural health freak, always trying to find a homemade solution to life's pesky little problems. I like to explore naturopathy, mindfulness and yoga. I sketch and zentangle when I can. Above all I love to capture life's little moments of peace, quiet and beauty in my camera.
 In the coming days I will try to post some interesting things. So stay tuned and have a great weekend.